Muti-Entry/Egress Sleeping Bag

ABSTRACT

A multiple-entry/egress sleeping bag for adjustable body coverage includes a shell which defines an internal space. The shell defines a plurality of body segment access openings through the shell that permit a user to extend various body segments though the shell into or out of the internal space and thereby vary which body segment are covered and are within the internal space versus laying on top of the bag. Such body segment access openings are preferably defined at locations corresponding to the neck, chest, waist, knees, and ankles areas of the user. Means are provided for making the body segment access openings selectively sealable and unsealable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to sleep products, and moreparticularly to sleeping bags.

2. Description of the Related Art

Sleeping bags are used in a wide variety of wilderness applications,including rock and ice climbing, camping, backpacking, fishing, mountainclimbing, etc. These activities are carried on throughout the year in arange of climatic regions and weather conditions. Outdoor enthusiastswho wish to use a sleeping bag in both warm and cold environmentspresently are required to purchase a separate sleeping bag designed foreach environment. Purchasing multiple sleeping bags is costly to theuser and takes up storage space in the user's home.

It is desirable to have a single sleeping bag that may be used in bothwarm and cold conditions. Specifically, it would be desirable to providea sleeping bag with a body cover portion that would allow the user tocover only the body segments that the user wishes to keep warm and usethe rest as added padding below him or her.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A multiple-entry/egress sleeping bag for adjustable body coverage isprovided. In one embodiment, the sleeping bag includes an elongate shelldefining an interior space sized and shaped to receive a user therein.The shell further defines at least a first body segment access openingthrough the shell sized and shaped to permit a user's selected bodysegment to be extended through said shell into or out of the interiorspace. Preferably, the shell has a plurality of such body segment accessopenings defined at locations corresponding to near one or more of thefollowing areas of the user: the neck, chest, waist, knees, and ankles.To best accommodate the user, the body segment access openings extendsubstantially across the width of the shell at the locations where theyare defined. In one embodiment, the shell is integrally formed and needsno zipper to open or close the shell to access the interior area.

The sleeping bag preferably includes means for selectively sealing andunsealing the body segment access openings so that they may be closedoff when not being used to extend a body segment into or out of theinterior space. In one embodiment, such means for selectively sealingand unsealing said body segment access opening includes selectivelyengageable and disengeable hook and loop fastener strips.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a sleep cover isprovided sized and shaped to cover a user's body. The sleep coverpreferably includes a plurality of body segment access openings sized,and shaped to permit a user's selected body segments access through saidsleep cover to overly or underlie said covering. The access openings arepreferably defined at locations corresponding to body areas of the userselected from the group of areas comprising: near the neck, near thechest, near the waist, near the knees, and near the ankles. The sleepcover may be used alone, may be attachable to a separate member to forma sleeping bag shell, or may be itself configurable into a sleeping bagshell.

A method of using a sleep cover is also disclosed. The method includesproviding a sleep cover sized and shaped to cover a user's body, whereinthe sleep cover defines a plurality of body segment access openingthrough said sleep cover sized and shaped to permit a user's selectedbody segments access through the sleep cover to overly or underlie thesleep cover. The method further includes extending select body segmentsthrough at least one of the access openings so that at least a firstbody segment overlies the sleep cover and at least a second body segmentunderlies the sleep cover.

A method of making a sleep system is also disclosed. The method includesproviding a sleep cover sized and shaped to cover a user's body. Themethod further includes defining at least one body segment accessopening through said cover sized and shaped to permit a user to extend aselected body segment through the opening to overly or underlie saidcover a location corresponding to a body area of the user selected fromthe group of areas comprising: near the neck, near the chest, near thewaist, near the knees, and near the ankles.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a sleeping bag 10 according to one preferredembodiment of the present invention is shown. As in a conventionalsleeping bag, the sleeping bag 10 is made with material that isconfigurable to form a shell 11. The shell has a first “head” end 12, asecond “foot” end 14, a first side 16, a second side 18, a lower portion20 and an upper portion 22. The foot end, sides, and the upper and lowerportions define an interior space (not numbered) configured to receive,cover, and enclose a user's body between upper and lower portions 22,20.

In a conventional sleeping bag, the upper and lower portions 20, 22 aretypically zippered each other with a peripheral zipper (not shown)running typically along the second end 14 and the second side 18, andsometimes along first side 16 if the upper and lower portions 20, 22 arenot integral or otherwise permanently attached to each other. When theupper and lower portions 22, 20 are configured into a shell, such as byfolding them over each other and zippering them together along at leastone end and one side, their edges define an end opening 24 at the first“head” end 12 in a conventional sleeping bag to permit the user toextend his body into the interior space. It will also be understood thata sleeping bag system may be provided with separate upper and lowerportions that are attached together such as by a zipper.

In accordance with the present invention, a number of longitudinallyspaced, laterally extending, body segment access openings 26 a-26 d aredefined in the upper portion 22 between the first end 12 and the secondend 14. The upper portion 22 will also be sometimes referred to hereinas a sleep cover and also referred to as a member. The body segmentaccess openings 26 are each sized, located and configured to permit theuser to extend various body segments through the shell into or out ofthe interior sleeping space to thereby control which body segments areinside the interior space during sleep and which are kept on top of thebag for additional temperature control and comfort. “Body segments”herein refers to the entire body in a specific region and not just to anappendage in that region. For example, the “feet body segment” meansboth feet from substantially the ankles down, the “legs body segment”means both legs, from substantially the waist down to substantially theankles, the “torso body segment” means the torso from substantially theneck to substantially the waist, and the “head body segment” means thehead from the top of the head to substantially the neck. With the bodysegment access openings 26, it is not necessary to have a zipper alongthe outer periphery of the upper and lower portions to permit bodysegment access into the interior space, nor is it necessary to have theend opening 24 because the user can have body segment access to theinterior space through the body segment access openings 26.

In contrast to the end opening 24 of a conventional sleeping bag, whichis defined by the shell but is not an opening through the shell, thebody segment access openings 26 are openings in and through the shellitself. Thus, unlike the end opening 24, which disappears when the upperand lower portions 22, 20 forming the shell 11 are unzippered andunfolded (and the interior space no longer defined), the body segmentaccess openings 26 do not disappear when the bag is unfolded becausethey are defined in and through the shell.

In order to facilitate easily extending various body segments into orout of the interior compartment, the body segment access openings 26 arepreferably longitudinally spaced apart and defined in locationscorresponding generally to the user's ankle area, knee area, waist area,and chest area. The body segment access openings 26 also preferablyextend substantially across the lateral dimension of upper portion 22,i.e., more than three fourths the distance from the first side 16 to thesecond side 18.

For example, in a second (tapered) sleeping bag 50 embodiment of thepresent invention, shown in FIG. 8, each of the body segment accessopenings 66 a-e extend substantially across the lateral dimension of theupper portion 62 from first side 56 to second side 58 at the locationwhere each opening is defined. The body segment access opening 66 dspans substantially the lateral dimension of the upper portion 62 at thechest area so as to comfortably permit the user place his body segmentsup to his chest through the access opening into the interior space.Likewise, the body segment access openings 66 c, 66 b and 66 a,similarly extend substantially across the lateral dimension of the upperportion 62 at the waist, knee, and ankle areas to permit the user torespectively place his body segments up to his waist, knees, or anklescomfortably into or out of the interior space of the bag. In theembodiment shown in FIG. 8, the upper portion 62 defines an additionalbody segment access opening 66 e corresponding to the neck area of theuser, and which is sized and configured to permit the user to place allhis body segments below his neck area into the interior space.

With the addition of the body segment access openings 26, the user isnow provided, in accordance with the present invention, with amultiple-entry/egress sleeping bag for adjustable body coverage. Theplurality of body segment access openings permit the user to extendcorresponding body segments into or out of the interior space andthereby vary which body segments are within the internal space versuslaying on top of the bag.

The user simply selects which body segments he wishes to have coveredand uses the corresponding access opening to pass through the bodysegment that he wants covered into the interior space and the bodysegments that he wants to have uncovered out of the interior space. Forexample, if the user wants to be covered from his neck or chest down tohis ankles but have his feet uncovered, then he simply opens the bodysegment access opening corresponding to his neck or chest and feet,slides his body into the interior space through the neck or chestopening, and has his feet exit the interior space through the ankleopening.

With the selective use of the corresponding body segment accessopenings, for example, the user can cover just his feet, just his feetand legs, just his feet, legs and chest, his entire body all the way upto his neck, or everything but his feet. Moreover, any region of theupper portion 22 that is not being used to cover a body segment may beused in conjunction with the lower portion 20 for added padding beneaththe user's back. Extra padding may even be provided beneath the head bythe upper portion if the sleeping bag is of sufficient length.

In FIG. 2, for example, the user is shown in covering only his feet bodysegment by placing his feet into the interior space of the bag 10through access opening 26 d. Similarly, the user is shown in FIG. 3 ascovering his leg and feet body segments by placing his body from thewaist down into the interior space through body segment access opening26 b. In FIG. 4, the user is shown covering his torso and legs bodysegments by placing the same into the interior space through bodysegment access opening 26 a and having his feet body segment uncoveredby exiting his feet from the interior space through body segment accessopening 26 d.

FIG. 2, the user has the extra padding from his ankles to his head thatis provided by the upper portion 22 beneath him in the region betweenend 12 and body segment access opening 26 d. Likewise, in FIG. 3, theuser has the extra padding from his waist to his head that is providedby the upper portion 22 beneath him in the region between end 12 andbody segment access opening 26 b. Similarly, in FIG. 4, the user has theextra padding from his chest to his head that is provided by the upperportion 22 beneath him in the region between end 12 and body segmentaccess opening 26 a.

In FIG. 8, the user is shown configuring himself in the sleeping bag 50of the present invention to have his torso body segment covered byplacing the same into the interior space through access opening 66 e,having his leg body segment uncovered by exiting the interior spacethrough access opening 66 b, and having his feet body segment covered byplacing his feet into the interior space through body segment accessopening 66 d. The upper portion 62 in the region between body segmentaccess opening 58 e and first end 52, as well as between access openings58 b and 58 d, provides added padding beneath the user.

So that any body segment access opening that is not being used to permita body segment entry to or egress from the interior space may be closedoff, means 28 for selectively sealing and unsealing each of the bodysegment access openings 26 is also provided. While any suitable meansfor selectively sealing and unsealing the access opening may be used,preferably, such means is comfortable to the user, easy to use, anddurable. Some present examples of such means include selectivelyengageable and disengeable (1) hook and loop fastener strips, (2)opposite polarity flexible magnetic strips, or (3) flexible soft rubberzipper strips.

In FIGS. 5-7, means 28 for selectively sealing and unsealing a bodysegment access opening is provided with overlapping and selectivelyengageable and disengeable strips of hook and loop fasteners 30, 32running substantially the length of the access opening. The hookfastener strip 30 is affixed, such as by sewing, to an extension strip34 that is itself affixed to or integral with the upper portion 22 “A”side.

The extension strip 34 may be made of the same material as the upperportion 22 or may be made of a different sufficiently durable materialsuch as nylon. The loop fastener strip 32 is shown affixed directly tothe upper portion 22 on the “B” side in a location that will permit thehook fastener strip 30 to engage the loop fastener strip 32 when theaccess opening is sealed. It is understood that the loop fastener stripcould also be attached in a different manner to the upper portion “B”side, such as by also being affixed to its own extension.

A cover strip 36 is affixed, such as by sewing, to the upper portion 22“A” side adjacent to the extension 34. When the hook and loop fastenerstrips 30, 32 are engaged, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the cover strip 36is pushed out of the way.

As best shown in FIG. 7, when the hook and loop fastener strips 30, 32are disengaged to unseal a body segment access opening, the cover strip36 covers the hook fastener 30 strip so that it does not engage the loopfastener strip 32 or the user's clothing. The cover strip 36 may be madeof any suitable material that can itself grip to the hook fasteners, orfurther include small spaced apart swatches 38 of loop fastenersattached thereto that engage the hook fastener strip 30 so that thecover strip may securely cover the hook fastener strip. The hook andloop fastener strip material is selected so as to form a secure sealthat will not come unsealed during the sleep yet having a reasonablebreak away tension so that the user need not struggle to unseal the bodysegment access opening when desired.

Alternatively, the hook and loop fastener strips may be replaced withother suitable means to selectively seal and unseal the access openingsuch as flexible magnetic strips of opposite polarity. The flexiblemagnetic strips may be affixed to the upper portion in the same manneras the hook and loop fastener strips shown in FIG. 5-7 to selectivelyengage and disengage and thereby seal and unseal a body segment accessopening 26. Alternatively, the magnetic strip substituting for the loopfastener strip may be affixed to an inside surface of the upper portion,rather than on an outer surface. Again, the magnetic strength ofmagnetic strips should provide secure sealing without undue breakawaytension.

Soft rubber zipper strips may alternatively be used instead of hook andloop fastener strips or flexible magnetic strips to provide means forselectively sealing and unsealing a body segment access opening. Underthis scenario, for example, a closed end coil nylon zipper arrangement,with the engageable teeth strips affixed to the “A” and “B” side can beused.

As in a conventional sleeping bag, a sleeping bag of the presentinvention may be made of any suitable material such as fabric or nylonas just two examples. Moreover, the material making up any portion ofthe bag need not be the same as the material making up any otherportion. It will be understood, for example, that the material making upthe bottom surface portion 20 may be softer, more padded or morebreathable than the material making up the upper portion 22, which maybe more waterproof.

It will be understood that a sleeping bag of the present invention usingthe can be adapted for domestic use. In such an embodiment, the materialforming the portions 20, 22 may be lighter, need not be breathable orwaterproof, and may be made of any conventional sheet, blanket, orcomforter material. In this embodiment, like a sleeping bag, a zippermay be provided to permit a closed shell to be formed when the portions20, 22 are overlapped and zipped together. Alternatively, the zipperneed not be provided and an open shell formed by simply folding theupper portion 22 over the lower portion 20.

It is contemplated that, where not required, the lower portion 20 may beeliminated entirely and the upper portion 22 used alone as a sleepcover. In such an embodiment, it will be understood that no peripheralzipper or other means for attaching to the lower portion 20 isnecessary. Thus, blankets and comforters can be outfitted with bodysegment access openings to permit the user to decide how which bodysegments underlie the sleep cover and which overlie the sleep cover, inthe same manner as the user would decide how much of his body and whichbody segments to cover in a full sleeping bag of the present invention.

To manufacture a sleep cover in accordance with the present invention,all that is necessary is to provide the sleep cover sized to cover auser's body and to define one or more body segment access openings insaid sleep cover corresponding to body segments of the user's body thatthe user may wish to have overlie or underlie the covering, as showabove in connection with the upper portion of a sleeping bag.

It will be understood that in the practice of the present invention, theuser need not actually sleeping to enjoy the benefits of the presentinvention but may enjoy the body temperature control provided therebywhile awake.

While the invention has been disclosed in various preferred forms, thespecific embodiments thereof as disclosed and illustrated herein areconsidered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention andare not to be considered in a limiting sense in interpreting the claims.The claims are intended to include all novel and non-obviouscombinations and subcombinations of the various elements, features,functions, and/or properties disclosed herein.

Variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner ofoperation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious toone skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to thoseillustrated in the drawings and described in the specification areintended to be encompassed in the following claims defining the presentinvention. Thus, it shall be understood that while this invention hasbeen described with respect of various specific examples andembodiments, the invention is not limited thereto and that it can bevariously practiced within the scope of the following claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of a sleeping bag according tothe present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a user sleeping in a sleeping bag of FIG.1.

FIG. 3 is also a plan view showing a user sleeping in a sleeping bag ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is another plan view showing a user sleeping in a sleeping bag ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a section view taken along the line 5-5 in FIG. 4 showing onepreferred means for selectively sealing and unsealing an access openingwith the access opening sealed.

FIG. 6 is a section view taken along the line 6-6 in FIG. 4 showing onepreferred means for selectively sealing and unsealing an access openingwith the access opening unsealed.

FIG. 7 is an enlargement of circle 7 of FIG. 5 showing a cover strippushed out of the way to permit means for selectively sealing andunsealing to engage.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a tapered version of a sleeping bag of thepresent invention.

1. A sleeping bag comprising an elongate shell defining an interiorspace sized and shaped to receive a user therein wherein said shellfurther defines at least one body segment access opening through saidshell sized and shaped to permit a user's selected body segment to beextended through said shell into said interior space.
 2. The sleepingbag of claim 1, wherein said at least one body segment access opening isdefined at a location corresponding to a body area of the user selectedfrom the group of areas comprising: near the neck, near the chest, nearthe waist, near the knees, and near the ankles.
 3. The sleeping bag ofclaim 1, wherein said at least one body segment access opening extendssubstantially across the width of the shell where it is defined.
 4. Thesleeping bag of claim 1, wherein said shell defines a plurality of bodysegment access openings sized and configured to permit various bodysegments to be extended through said shell into said interior space. 5.The sleeping bag of claim 4 wherein said body segment access openingsare defined longitudinally spaced apart and extending laterally acrosssaid shell.
 6. The sleeping bag of claim 1, wherein said shell has twoopposed ends and said opposed ends are both closed.
 7. The sleeping bagof claim 1, wherein said shell comprises a first member and a secondmember.
 8. The sleeping bag of claim 1, further comprising means forselectively sealing and unsealing said at least one body segment accessopening.
 9. The sleeping bag of claim 8, wherein said means forselectively sealing and unsealing said body segment access openingincludes selectively engageable and disengeable hook and loop fastenerstrips.
 10. The sleeping bag of claim 8, wherein said means forselectively sealing and unsealing said body segment access openingincludes selectively engageable opposite polarity flexible magneticstrips.
 11. The sleeping bag of claim 8, wherein said means forselectively sealing and unsealing said body segment access openingincludes selectively engageable zipper strips.
 12. A sleep systemcomprising a member configurable into at least part of a sleeping bagshell, wherein said shell when configured defines an interior spacesized and shaped to receive a user therein, and wherein said memberdefines at least one body segment access opening through said membersized and shaped to permit a user's selected body segment to be extendedthrough said member into said interior space when said shell is soconfigured.
 13. The sleep system of claim 12, wherein said at least onebody segment access opening is defined at a location of said membercorresponding to a body area of the user selected from the group ofareas comprising: near the neck, near the chest, near the waist, nearthe knees, and near the ankles.
 14. The sleep system of claim 12,wherein said member defines a plurality of body segment access openingsthrough said member sized and shaped to permit a user's selected bodysegments to be extended through said member into said interior spacewhen said shell is configured.
 15. The sleep system of claim 12 whereinsaid body segment access openings are defined longitudinally spacedapart and extending laterally across said member.
 16. The sleep systemof claim 12, further comprising means for selectively sealing andunsealing said at least one body segment access opening.
 17. The sleepsystem of claim 16, wherein said means for selectively sealing andunsealing said body segment access opening includes selectivelyengageable and disengeable hook and loop fastener strips.
 18. The sleepsystem of claim 16, wherein said means for selectively sealing andunsealing said body segment access opening includes selectivelyengageable opposite polarity flexible magnetic strips.
 19. The sleepsystem of claim 16, wherein said means for selectively sealing andunsealing said body segment access opening includes selectivelyengageable zipper strips.
 20. A sleep cover sized and shaped to cover auser's body defining at least one body segment access opening throughsaid cover sized and shaped to permit a user's selected body segment tobe extended through said cover at a location corresponding to a bodyarea of the user selected from the group of areas comprising: near theneck, near the chest, near the waist, near the knees, and near theankles.
 21. A method of using a sleep cover comprising: providing asleep cover sized and shaped to cover a user's body defining at leastone body segment access opening through said cover at a locationcorresponding to a body area of the user selected from the group ofareas comprising: near the neck, near the chest, near the waist, nearthe knees, and near the ankles, said body segment access openingextending laterally across said cover and sized and shaped to permit auser's selected body segment to be extended through said cover; andextending a selected body segment through the body segment accessopening so that at least a first body segment overlies the sleep coverand a second body segment underlies the sleep cover.
 22. A method ofmaking a sleep cover comprising: providing a sleep cover sized andshaped to cover a user's body; and defining at least one body segmentaccess opening through said cover sized and shaped to permit a user'sselected body segment to be extended through said cover at a locationcorresponding to a body area of the user selected from the group ofareas comprising: near the neck, near the chest, near the waist, nearthe knees, and near the ankles.
 23. A sleeping bag comprising: an upperportion and a lower portion; and a plurality of longitudinally spacedlaterally extending openings in said upper portion such that at leastone body segment of a user may extend through at least one of theplurality of longitudinally spaced laterally extending openings.
 24. Thesleeping bag of claim 23, wherein at least one of said plurality oflongitudinally spaced laterally extending openings is at a locationchosen from the group consisting of: proximate the ankles of the user,proximate the knees of the user, proximate the waist of the user, andproximate the chest of the user.